Robert was born to James A. and Stella Boyd on November 22, 1929, in Friendship, Texas. The family lived near some stockyards, and at a very early age, Robert became interested in and had a great love for the animals. He knew he wanted to be a rodeo cowboy when he grew up because he and his buddies would slip into the pens at night and try to ride some of the animals. Eddie Cameron, a rodeo rough stock rider, and Andy Robinson, also a rough stock rider and bulldogger, were always around the pens and they had a great influence on Robert to be a cowboy; in fact, Andy is responsible for Robert being nicknamed “Muscles”. Robert went with Andy and Eddie one time to help build Buck Steiner an arena and as Andy watched Robert, he would say, “Come on Muscles, come on Muscles”, and that nickname has stayed with him for a lifetime.
Muscles often rode in matched horse races, but rodeo was what he really wanted to do. In 1943 he started to ride Junior Bulls – won a little money – and that was the beginning of his next 13 years of rodeo competition. Bud and Paul Humphrey and “Red” Walker encouraged Muscles to enter Turtle and then R.C.A. Rodeos, which he started entering in 1945. In the spring of 1946, Tony Salinas, a calf roper and an R.C.A. spokesperson, told Muscles that if he entered any more R.C.A. Rodeos he would have to join the association. Muscles paid his association dues at Alice, Texas that year and became a professional rodeo cowboy, membership #1032. He was a full-time rodeo bull rider but occasionally he would also enter the bareback riding. One time, and one time only, he entered the saddle bronco event, and Muscles states: “That one-time experience nearly killed me.” Muscles rodeoed throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and the Great Northwest. He won or placed well at a lot of the 1 and 2 head bull ridings.
Barrel Man: In 1948, at the Austin, Texas Rodeo, Buck Steiner told Muscles that Carl Satterfield (a rodeo clown and rodeo bullfighter) needed a “Barrel Man”, and you’re it. Being a “landmark” for Muscles, he had become one of the first rodeo clowns to make the barrel his arena home. Steiner had a notorious fighting bull by the name of “Jim” and he wore his name proudly across his side. That night, the Barrel man was introduced to “Jim”, and Muscles would get to fight him from the barrel at all Steiner Rodeo performances for the next 5 years, with the exception of a few times that Muscles was sidelined with a broken leg, injured neck or banged up shoulder. Some of the other rodeo producers he worked the barrel for include Holt, Lamar, and Jennings; Homer Todd; Raymond Quigg, Parley Hall, Marion McBride, and of course, always clowning with Carl Satterfield and Cecil Ellis. After becoming a Barrel Man, Muscles was still entering bull-riding competition.
Career Highlights: In 1950, when Muscles rode Steiner’s Bulls, #XS20 and #XS127, to win the riding at Loveland. In 1951, when Steiner decided to put “Jim” in the draw, who better to draw him than Muscles? Muscles made a qualified ride on Jim but the real chore was to get off and get away from him safely. It seemed like half an hour of Jim’s hooking and mauling before Muscles finally made it to his barrel and to safety, but – just then – transformers blew – lights were out and Muscles still had to contend with Jim. When the lights were back on it was a God-send. Muscles made his way out of the barrel and to the fence and lived to tell about it.
In 1952, while still rodeoing, he started training as a heavy equipment operator, specializing in cranes. He was an apprentice for two years and then a journeyman. In 1956, he retired from rodeo competition, and began to judge open and youth rodeos. Muscles hauled and paid expenses for many aspiring young cowboys including: Roger Davis, Brent Thurman, Ricky Levy, Bo Davis, Jimbo Hickman, Bubba Paterson, Johnny Hoyle, Beaver Jernigan, Ronnie Whitfield, and his best friend and gratefully appreciative son, Jim “Bubba” Boyd. Muscles didn’t expect any reimbursement; he just wanted to help the young competitors.
Muscles made a lot of friends during his rodeo days and some of his closest ones include: Johnny Boren, Bud Humphrey, Sonny Berry, Bobby
